Contest rules:Only the first 64 valid entries will be eligible, (one for every square on the chessboard!) This article will post a notice when the maximum number of entries has been exceeded and the contest is closed. Your entry must be sent to [email protected] before December 25 at 6 PM. Include the answers (not the questions) in the e-mail body. (No attachments.) You must be a USCF member to win the contest. Only one entry per member. The grand prize will go to the member with the highest score- in case of a tie, the tiebreaker question will decide the winner. If both winners correctly answered the tiebreaker, the person who answered the tiebreaker first will win. The contest is over, so the answers are bolded below. Look for an article explaning the solutions later this week.

Holiday Chess TriviaMethodology notes – Ratings as of October Supplement, active players only with current state affiliation (regardless of actual residence) used. State ratings based on top four players.
1. New York, the state with the strongest average rating of its top players, boasts a gaudy average. It is:

A. 2675
B. 2699
C. 2726 (The term average is explained above as "State ratings based on top four players.")
D. 2740

2. How many of the top 12 states by rating are red states, as defined by the 2004 presidential election?

A. 4
B. 6
C. 0
D. 2 (Florida, 5th, Texas, 6th)

3. Which state has more masters than any other state?

A. California (more than 200 active, though NY has more Senior Masters--43.)
B. Texas
C. Florida
D. New York

4. How many states have no masters?

A. 0
B. 3 (North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming)
C. 5
D. 8

5. Which state has the highest average comparable to its population ranking?

7. Which state has the youngest player leading its rating list?
A. New Hampshire- IM Josh Friedel turns 21 in December while IM John Bartholomew of MN turned 21 in September.
B. Minnesota
C. New York
D. New Mexico

8. Which is the largest state in terms of population not to have a U.S. Chess League team?

A. Michigan
B. Ohio
C. Illinois- 5th in population, also 8th in rating--top 7 in rating all had teams in the 2007 season. Editor's Note: The Chicago Blaze and the Arizona Scorpions were added to the 2008 season's team list. This was announced just after this quiz was published.
D. Colorado

9. How many states have an average of 2400 or higher?

A. 9
B. 13
C. 15
D. 21- Nevada is right at 2400. Nebraska just missed with an average of 2399.5.

10. What is the smallest state in terms of population to be represented in the U.S. Chess League?

A. Tennessee
B. North Carolina
C. Maryland - 19th in population, Tennessee is 16th in population.
D. Washington
11. True or False: The top four New Yorkers have a FIDE average higher than England’s top four. England 2643, New York 2639. NY does beat Czech and Germany.

12. Put these four entities in order of their top four FIDE average: New Jersey (2549), Argentina (2547), Massachusetts (2537), and Italy (2535).

13. How many Americans competed at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy?

14. Not counting New York, which state has the highest rating and a Canadian border?
A. Washington-Washington's top four players average to 2536. Michigan is close behind with an average of 2529.
B. Michigan
C. Minnesota
D. New Hampshire

15. What state has the highest top four boards but does not have a coastline with an ocean or the Great Lakes?

A. Kentucky
B. Arizona is the right answer, which has an average of 2507. Close behind is Colorado, 2448.
C. Colorado
D. Tennessee